Current Affairs February 03rd 2023| Current Affairs News

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CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

RBI partially relaxes remittance transaction restrictions on SBM Bank (India) till Mar 15, 2023

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has partially relaxed the restrictions it had imposed on SBM Bank (India) Ltd to stop all transactions under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).
• This relaxation, available only till March 15, 2023.
• It has been decided to partially relax the restrictions by allowing Automated Teller Machine (ATM)/ Point of Sale (POS) transactions under LRS through Know Your Customer (KYC) compliant internationally active debit cards issued by the bank
• On January 23,2023 RBI had asked SBM Bank (India), the Indian subsidiary of State Bank of Mauritius, to immediately stop transactions under LRS, following certain material supervisory concerns observed in the bank.

About LRS : 

• The scheme was initially introduced on February 4, 2004, with a limit of USD 25,000.
• LRS refers to external remittances by resident individuals for purposes like studies abroad, medical treatment, maintenance of close relatives, and investments and travel.
• The LRS limit has been later revised in stages consistent with prevailing macro and micro economic conditions.

About SBM Bank India : 

• Founded : 1st December 2018
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• MD & CEO : Sidharth Rath
• It is a subsidiary of the State Bank of Mauritius.
• It was the first bank to receive a banking licence from India’s banking regulator Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to establish a universal banking business in the country as a wholly owned subsidiary.

Digital payments record 24% annual growth at end of September 2022: RBI data                                               

• As per Reserve Bank of India’s  (RBI) index that measures the adoption of online transactions, Digital payments across the country registered a growth of 24.13% in a year through September 2022.
• The newly-constituted RBI’s Digital Payments Index (RBI-DPI) stood at 377.46 in September 2022 against 349.30 in March 2022 and 304.06 in September 2021.
• The RBI-DPI Index has increased across all parameters driven by significant growth in payment infrastructure and payment performance across the country over the period.
• The RBI had announced the construction of a composite RBI-DPI in March 2018 as a base to capture the extent of digitisation of payments across India.

About RBI-DPI Index : 

• The index comprises 5 broad parameters that enable the measurement of the deepening and penetration of digital payments in the country over different periods.

List of 5 Parameters : 

1. Payment Enablers (weight 25%)
2. Payment Infrastructure Demand-side factors (10%)
3. Payment Infrastructure Supply-side factors (15%)
4. Payment Performance (45%)
5. Consumer Centricity (5%).

• The index is published on a semi-annual basis from March 2021 onwards with a lag of 4 months.

About RBI :

• Established : 1 April 1935
• Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Governor : Shaktikanta Das
• Deputy governors : Mahesh Kumar Jain, M. Rajeshwar Rao, Michael Patra and T. Rabi Shankar

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

Railways gets first-class berth; H-powered trains by December

• The railways has received a record budgetary push of over Rs 2. 4 lakh crore to accelerate projects like introducing hydrogen-powered wagons and trains, laying of additional tracks, electrification of network, and revamping stations with better amenities for passengers.
• Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the first indigenously designed and developed hydrogen-fuelled train will be rolled out by December 2023, and such trains will be operated on heritage routes.
• Announcing the highest ever allocation, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said this was over nine times the amount earmarked in 2013-14.
• The Budget documents show that the proposed allocation for the railways for 2023-24 is 48% more than the revised estimate (RE) for the current financial year and nearly 72% higher than the budget estimate (BE).
• The revised spending of railways for 2021-22 has been pegged at Rs 1. 63 lakh crore compared to the budget estimate of Rs 1. 4 lakh crore.

Centre announced Rs. 35,000 Crore Investment For Green Energy Transition:

• Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman provided an outlay of ₹ 35,000 crore to achieve energy transition and net zero objectives and listed green growth among seven priorities of the government.
• Prime minister has given vision for LiFE, or lifestyle for environment.
• To spur a movement for environmentally conscious lifestyle, India is moving firmly for the panchamrit, the net zero carbon emission by 2070, usher in green industrial and economic transition.
• This budget builds on our focus on green growth
• This budget provides for ₹ 35,000 crore for priority capital investment towards energy transition and net zero objectives and an energy security by ministry of petroleum and natural gas.
• Earlier in November, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070 under the Paris Agreement at the United Nations climate conference COP26 in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
• PM Modi had presented India’s national statement at the Glasgow summit, listing out five commitments of India to combat climate change.
• He had also raised the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of achieving 450 giga watt non-fossil energy capacity to 500 giga watt by 2030.

Mission UDAN gets a lift, 50 small airports to be revived

• Regional aerial connectivity will soon get a boost with the government going to
• revive old, unused airstrips across the country.
• Fifty additional airports, heliports, water aerodromes and advanced landing grounds will be revived for improving regional air connectivity
• In the last eight years, the number of airports in use has increased from 74 to 147, thanks to the subsidised regional connectivity scheme (RCS) ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’ (UDAN).
• Domestic air traffic recovery has been among the highest in India globally, post-Covid, and India is now the world’s third-largest aviation market.
• Over 1 crore flyers have taken UDAN flights in the last six years.
• To give wings to its ambitious regional connectivity push, India had simplified the process of getting new types of aircraft last year as it opened its skies to flying machines not commonly seen here earlier, like seaplanes and four-seaters.
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has removed the requirement of giving type acceptance of aircraft for shortterm wet leasing (hiring withoperating crew) of aircraft.

About UDAN:

• Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik, known by its acronym UDAN is a regional airport development program of the Government of India and part of the Regional Connectivity Scheme of upgrading under-serviced air routes.
• Its goal is to make air travel affordable and improve economic development in India.
• Start date: 27 April 2017
• Launched: 21 October 2016; 6 years ago; Delhi
• Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation
• Key people: Hardeep Singh Puri
• Motto: Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik; (Let the common citizen of the country fly.)

Railway Ministry sets in motion Rs 2.6-trillion budgetary push 

• The people have high expectations from the Rail Budget as the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her fifth Budget and the Centre is going to increase the Railway Budget this time by up to 20 per cent.
• In its first term, the Modi government at the Centre had linked the Rail Budget with the General Budget, under which the money for the Railways is now provided.
• Earlier, in the pre-Budget meeting, the Railway Board demanded 25-30 per cent more funds in the allocation of the Finance Ministry.
• In such a situation, the government can give a fund of about Rs 2 .6 trillion to the Ministry of Railways in the Budget leading to an atmosphere of enthusiasm in sectors related to the Railways.
• There have also been various demands from the passengers.
• This is the last full Budget of the Modi government before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
• Along with this, before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, elections will be held in 10 states of the country in this year, including big states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Mizoram in the Northeast.
• However, the Union Ministry of Railways, so far has achieved Rs 42,370 crore more revenue as compared to the previous financial year.
• The Railways income has increased by 71 per cent, whereas earlier in 2021, there was a loss of Rs 26,338 crore, which led to the government decreasing the concessions provided to the common people.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CAG India takes over chairmanship of audit institutions of G20 nations                                                

• Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has taken over the chairmanship of Supreme Audit Institutions 20 (SAI20) with India assuming the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022.
• The SAI 20 Engagement Group of G20 nations recognizes the crucial role of SAI in fortifying governance
• The SAI20 Engagement Group under CAG of India aims to bring together an ecosystem wherein SAIs are active partners in governance, promoting transparency and accountability.

Key Highlights : 

• Under the guiding philosophy for India’s Presidency of G20 i.e. Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam, who sees the world as ‘One Earth, One Family, and One Future’, Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) of India is proposing collaboration of G20 SAIs on 2 priority areas of Blue Economy and Responsible Artificial Intelligence.
• Secretary General, SAI Indonesia Bahtiar Arif formally handed over the presidency of SAI20 to Parveen Mehta, Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (Deputy CAG) who represented SAI India in the meeting.

About CAG : 

• Current CAG of India : Girish Chandra Murmu
• The CAG is the supreme audit institution of India, established under Article 148 of the Constitution of India.
• The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India is appointed by the President of India

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

Jai Jai Maharashtra Maza to be Maharashtra’s state anthem from Feb 19             

• The Marathi patriotic and iconic song – ‘Jai Jai Maharashtra Maza, Garja Maharashtra Maza’ – has been designated as the ‘state song’ and would be played at all official functions and ceremonial events.
• The song will be adopted as the state song on 19 February 2023 the birth anniversary of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who laid the foundation of the “Hindavi-swarajya” or self-rule of the Hindu people.
• The decision was taken at the cabinet meeting presided over by Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Eknath Shinde.
• It is for the first time since the establishment of Maharashtra as a state in 1960 that the government has declared an official state song.
• For several years, the song was the de facto state song for Maharashtra but now it has got a formal tag.
• Maharashtra becomes the 13th state in the country to have a state song.
• The state song was adopted as part of the Azadi Ka Amit Mahotsav when India is celebrating 75 years of Independence.
• The Maharashtra government adopted two paragraphs of the song that has a maximum length of 1.41 minutes & the original song is approximately 3.5 minutes long.

About ‘Jai Jai Maharashtra Maza, Garja Maharashtra Maza’ : 

• ‘Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha, Garja Maharashtra Majha’, which means ‘Glory to Maharashtra’, was penned by Raja Badhe.
• The music was composed by Shrinivas Khale.
• The song was sung by balladeer Krishnarao Sable, popularly known as Shaheer Sable.
• Meanwhile, the government announced the decision to increase the amount of Maharashtra Bhushan prize to Rs 25 lakh, from Rs 10 lakh
• Maharashtra Bhushan prize is the highest state government award conferred to a civilian for achievements in their respective field.

About Maharashtra :

• Governor : Bhagat Singh Koshyari
• Chief Minister : Eknath Shinde
• National Park : Tadoba National Park, Navegaon National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary.

Tamil Nadu government plans museum at Karunanidhi memorial on Marina             

• The Tamil Nadu (TN) government has proposed to construct a museum for the late Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, in addition to the under-construction superstructure of the memorial on the Marina, TN.
• It will be built over 1500 square metres and spread over 160 cents.
• The memorial for Karunanidhi on the Marina beach is being constructed at a cost of ₹39 crore.

About the museum : 

• The entrance to the museum will be on the surface of the mainland and will come up adjacent to the main memorial pavilion.
• The government is already working on a proposal for a 42-metre-tall pen monument on the sea, at a distance of 360 metres into the Bay of Bengal, at an estimated cost of ₹80 crore

About Tamil Nadu :

• Governor: R. N. Ravi
• Chief minister: M. K. Stalin
• Capital: Chennai
• Dance : Bharatnatyam, Karakattam
• National Park : Mudumalai National Park, Mukurthi National Park, Guindy National Park, Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Kalakad Wildlife sanctuary, Karikili Bird Sanctuary, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
• Tiger Reserve : Anamalai Tiger Reserve
• Biosphere Reserve : Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve

Delhi Govt To Launch Real Time Pollution Factors Gathering Mechanism                                        

• Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal has inaugurated a “super site” and a mobile van which will collect pollution data in real-time and tell its constituents.
• Delhi would become the first city in the country to get a real-time source segmentation of air pollution.
• It will identify factors that are responsible for the increase in air pollution in Delhi.
• The super site facility is located at Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya premises near Income Tax Office (ITO).
• The project has been initiated by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, IIT Delhi, and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
• Based on the data, this super site will also assist in forecasting air pollution levels enabling the government to deploy its resources to combat pollution.

About Delhi :

• Lt. Governor : Vinai Kumar Saxena
• Chief Minister : Arvind Kejriwal
• Capital : New Delhi
• Wildlife Sanctuaries : Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, National Chambal Sanctuary
• Festival : Bhai Dooj Festival, Chhat Festival

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

Export of Indian leather and footwear to be $6 billion this fiscal:

• In the current fiscal year the exports of Indian leather and footwear sector is expected to touch USD 6 billion, said Sanjay Leekha, Chairman, Council for Leather Exports.
• This will happen as against USD 5 billion in the previous year as there is a good growth momentum
• While announcing the 36th India International Leather Fair to be held in Chennai from February 1 to 3, the target is to reach around USD 14 billion exports by 2030.
• During April to December, exports of leather, leather products and footwear have registered a ‘substantial’ growth this fiscal, reaching USD 4.25 billion.

Reliance Consumer bites into biscuit market to take on Britannia, Parle

• Reliance Consumer Products (RCPL), the FMCG arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL), has entered into a strategic partnership with Sri Lanka-headquartered Maliban Biscuit Manufactories (Maliban).
• With this pact, Reliance will offer a range of biscuits to Indian consumers.
• This also marks Reliance’s entry into the biscuit space and it will also directly compete with Britannia Industries and Parle Products.
• Maliban, a household name in Sri Lanka, is well known for the last 70 years for its range of biscuits, crackers, cookies and wafers.
• The company has expanded its product reach to global markets and exports to over 35 countries across five continents.
• In December, RCPL launched its packaged consumer products brand, ‘Independence’, a retail distribution network for its fast-expanding FMCG portfolio.

About Reliance Industries

• Headquarters: Mumbai
• Founder: Dhirubhai Ambani
• Founded: 1958, Maharashtra

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RSIGNATIONS

RBI Appoints Mr V Ramachandra As Member Of Advisory Committee Of  Srei Group NBFCs 

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Mr V. Ramachandra as a member of the Advisory Committee of Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd. (SIFL) and Srei Equipment Finance Ltd. (SEFL)
• This follows the resignation of Mr Farokh N. Subedar from the Advisory Committee with effect from January 31, 2023.
• The Advisory Committee will now comprise of following members:

• Shri Venkat Nageshwar Chalasani, former Deputy Managing Director, State Bank of India
• Shri T T Srinivasaraghavan, former Managing Director, Sundaram Finance Limited
• Shri V Ramachandra, former Chief General Manager, Canara Bank

About the Advisory Committee :  

• The Advisory Committee shall advise the Administrator in the operations of the SIFL and SEFL during the corporate insolvency resolution process.
• On October 11, 2021,the RBI had constituted an Advisory Committee under Rule 5 (c) of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (Insolvency and Liquidation Proceedings of Financial Service Providers and Application to Adjudicating Authority) Rules, 2019, to advise the Administrator in the operations of the financial service providers during the corporate insolvency resolution process.

Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi appointed as new Drugs Controller General of India                                    

• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has recommended Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi as the new Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).
• The recommendation will be approved by the Health Ministry, followed by approval of the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) led by PM Narendra Modi.
• He will succeed Dr V G Somani whose extended tenure ends mid-February, 2023.
• Dr V G Somani was appointed as the DCGI for the first time in 2019 & in 2022 his term extended for three months up to Feb 2023.
• The UPSC conducted interviews of the top contenders like Dr. VG Somani, Dr. Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi, and Dr. Jai Prakash.

About DCGI : 

• DCGI is the head of department of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization of the Government of India responsible for approval of licences of specified categories of drugs such as blood and blood products, IV fluids, vaccines, and sera in India.
• DCGI comes under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

Adani Group Acquires Strategic Haifa Port In Israel For $1.2 Billion                                                          

• The Adani Group acquired the strategic Israeli port of Haifa for USD 1.2 billion and will beautify the Mediterranean city’s skyline as part of its decision to invest more in the Jewish nation, including opening an artificial intelligence lab in Tel Aviv.
• The deal was signed by Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani in presence of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

Key Highlights : 

• Prime Minister Netanyahu described the Haifa port deal with the Adani Group as an “enormous milestone”.
• The Port of Haifa is the second largest port in Israel in terms of shipping containers and the biggest in shipping tourist cruise ships.
• It handles nearly half of the country’s container cargo and is also the nation’s principal port for passenger traffic and cruise ships.
• In July, 2022, Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone Ltd in partnership with local chemicals and logistics group Gadot \ won an Israel government’s tender to buy the Haifa Port, a major trade hub on Israel’s Mediterranean coast, for about USD 1.2 billion.

About Adani Group : 

• Founded : 20 July 1988
• Headquarters : Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

About Israel : 

• President : Isaac Herzog
• Prime Minister : Benjamin Netanyahu
• Capital : Jerusalem
• Currency : New shekel

CURRENT AFFAIRS : DEFENCE NEWS

Indian Army’s ‘Exercise Topchi’ 2023 held in Maharashtra                                                   

• The Indian Army’s ‘Exercise Topchi’, annual firepower demonstration and training exercise of the Regiment of Artillery was conducted by the School of Artillery at Devlali Field Firing Ranges in Nashik’s Devlali, Maharashtra.

Aim : 

• To demonstrate the coordinated use of firepower and surveillance assets, including guns, mortars, rocket launchers, drones, and aviation assets.
• Indigenously manufactured weapon systems were the highlight of the exercise.
• The event was conducted under the stewardship of Lieutenant General S Harimohan Iyer, AVSM, Commandant School of Artillery and Colonel Commandant Regiment of Artillery.

Key Highlights : 

• This year, the major focus has been on ‘Atmanirbharata’ (self-reliance).
• The highlight of the exercise was display and firing by indigenously manufactured Artillery equipment viz K-9 Vajra, Dhanush, Indian Field Gun (IFG) / Light Field Gun (LFG) System and Pinaka Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers
• This edition of “Exercise Topchi” showcased the integrated employment of firepower and surveillance assets.
• The exercise involving the SWATHI radar system has been made in India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

India to host Club Volleyball World Championship for two years 

• The Volleyball World and the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) have announced India as the host for the men’s Club World Championship for two years.
• The champions of the RuPay Prime Volleyball league will compete in the Club World Championship in 2023 and 2024 against some of the top teams from countries like Italy, Brazil and Iran.
• The Club World Championship is scheduled from December 6 to 10 this year, and the host city would be announced later in the season.
• The volleyball league this season would be held from February 4 to March 5.
• The league will be staged in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi, featuring 31 games in all.
• Sony Sports Network will telecast the matches.

About FIVB:

• Founded: April 1947, Paris, France
• President: Ary Graça
• Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

Veteran lawyer and former Union Law Minister Shanti Bhushan Passed away

• Former Union Law Minister and veteran lawyer Shanti Bhushan who was a strong voice against corruption and a defender of civil liberties passed away at the age of 97.

About Shanti Bhushan : 

• Shanti Bhushan was an Indian politician and lawyer.
• He served as the Law Minister of India holding office at the Ministry of Law and Justice from 1977 to 1979 in the Morarji Desai Ministry.
• As the Law minister, he introduced the 44th Constitution Amendment, which was a political promise to “restore the Constitution to the condition it was in before the Emergency”, which was passed during his tenure.
• It repealed many provisions of 42nd Amendment of the Constitution, which is known as Mini-Constitution passed by the Indira Gandhi ministry
• He authored a book titled Courting Destiny: A Memoir in 2008.
• He was also a key member of India Against Corruption and was part of the Joint Drafting Committee for the Jan Lokpal Bill.
• He became a founding member of the Aam Aadmi Party after its formal launch on 26 November 2012.

Daily CA on February 3:

• The railways has received a record budgetary push of over Rs 2. 4 lakh crore to accelerate projects like introducing hydrogen-powered wagons and trains, laying of additional tracks, electrification of network, and revamping stations with better amenities for passengers
• Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman provided an outlay of ₹ 35,000 crore to achieve energy transition and net zero objectives and listed green growth among seven priorities of the government.
• Regional aerial connectivity will soon get a boost with the government going to revive old, unused airstrips across the country.
• The people have high expectations from the Rail Budget as the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present her fifth Budget and the Centre is going to increase the Railway Budget this time by up to 20 per cent
• In the current fiscal year the exports of Indian leather and footwear sector is expected to touch USD 6 billion, said Sanjay Leekha, Chairman, Council for Leather Exports.
• Reliance Consumer Products (RCPL), the FMCG arm and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL), has entered into a strategic partnership with Sri Lanka-headquartered Maliban Biscuit Manufactories (Maliban).
• The champions of the RuPay Prime Volleyball league will compete in the Club World Championship in 2023 and 2024 against some of the top teams from countries like Italy, Brazil and Iran.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has partially relaxed the restrictions it had imposed on SBM Bank (India) Ltd to stop all transactions under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).
• As per Reserve Bank of India’s  (RBI) index that measures the adoption of online transactions, Digital payments across the country registered a growth of 24.13% in a year through September 2022.
• Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has taken over the chairmanship of Supreme Audit Institutions 20 (SAI20) with India assuming the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022.
• The Marathi patriotic and iconic song – ‘Jai Jai Maharashtra Maza, Garja Maharashtra Maza’ – has been designated as the ‘state song’ and would be played at all official functions and ceremonial events.
• The Tamil Nadu (TN) government has proposed to construct a museum for the late Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader and former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, in addition to the under-construction superstructure of the memorial on the Marina, TN.
• Delhi Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal has inaugurated a “super site” and a mobile van which will collect pollution data in real-time and tell its constituents.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Mr V. Ramachandra as a member of the Advisory Committee of Srei Infrastructure Finance Ltd. (SIFL) and Srei Equipment Finance Ltd. (SEFL)
• The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has recommended Dr Rajeev Singh Raghuvanshi as the new Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI).
• The Adani Group acquired the strategic Israeli port of Haifa for USD 1.2 billion and will beautify the Mediterranean city’s skyline as part of its decision to invest more in the Jewish nation, including opening an artificial intelligence lab in Tel Aviv.
• The Indian Army’s ‘Exercise Topchi’, annual firepower demonstration and training exercise of the Regiment of Artillery was conducted by the School of Artillery at Devlali Field Firing Ranges in Nashik’s Devlali, Maharashtra.
• Former Union Law Minister and veteran lawyer Shanti Bhushan who was a strong voice against corruption and a defender of civil liberties passed away at the age of 97.